


To Steal a Heart of Gold

by smol_ghosts



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Lance (Voltron), Angst, Artwork by me, Childhood Friends, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Galra Keith (Voltron), Galra Shiro (Voltron), Humor, Hurt/Comfort, I keep rethinking and changing ideas but for the better i promise, M/M, Minor Injuries, Mutual Pining, Nonbinary Pidge | Katie Holt, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Prince Lance (Voltron), Protective Keith (Voltron), Protective Lance (Voltron), Puns & Word Play, Rating and Warnings subjected to change as this goes along, Slow Burn, Some Cursing, Thief Keith, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, artwork included
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-11-29 05:05:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11433744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smol_ghosts/pseuds/smol_ghosts
Summary: Lance has always been one to bend the rules. He has an adventurous heart and mind with the strong will to stretch his legs from the overbearing and rather boring duties of being a prince, living a rather normal side life among the townsfolk. He usually manages to stay out of trouble, but the last thing he expects is a familiar galran thief to steal something more valuable than any riches in the universe from him. Something he's not entirely willing to accept.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Edit// I have reformated the dialogue based on feedback and used dividers so it should be easier to follow if anyone was confused before I apologize!  
> This is just something I thought up and something I'd personally find an interesting story. Some canon facts, such as aging processes of Alteans and Galra have been changed to my liking (age like humans rather than over long periods of time.) To clear up confusion if anyone skips the chapter title, the first chapter is a prologue of Lance and Keith's past, meant to lead into the story that will unfold later. If any of the pacing or storyline seems off please inform me. I do appreciate critiques and encourage it for the best possible reading experience I can offer.
> 
> Artwork shown within is done by me and how I pictured some of the scenes.
> 
> Please enjoy this series as updates should be regular.
> 
> Edit: I fixed some spelling mistakes and italicized some important dialogue. This is my first fic so I'm still learning how this coding and stuff works. Sorry about that minor inconvenience as I'm my only editor so it's easy to skip over minor things even after rereading it +20 times.

Lance has always been impatient, never sitting still to listen to lessons given within the confinements of the palace. He'd find himself getting distracted, looking out the window to watch the hustle and bustle of the kingdom below. Far beyond the village are the reknown fields of lumiberries flowers and lush forests that reach far up into the mountains that surrounded the valley, a natural formation of protection around the kingdom and it’s people. Vast blue skies stretched over the horizon, though he thought the night sky that laid behind it was a much more thrilling sight. It was all his to admire, another to actually experience. He wanted to run as fast has his legs could carry him, fly up and soar past the mountains and explore new worlds. This could be likely that he’d be able to one day, but for now, he was just trying to manage getting past the front gates.

Being ten years old brought its challenges, especially when it came to convincing his mother to let him roam around the village. It’s relatively safe, but with the war between Alteans and Galrans still ongoing and making threats to the royal family and it’s town people, it makes the possibility of being attacked without warning all that more relevant. So roaming anywhere outside the castle gates is prohibited, though it didn’t stop him. Luckily he had four other siblings and his older cousin, Allura, that kept everyone on their toes in the palace. He is also the third in line to the throne, making him less of a priority. So it wasn’t like he’d necessarily be missed if he headed out for a short while. Not to mention he always had a clever excuse if they noticed.

It was like any other day in Altea, bright and warm and seemingly calling Lance to explore. Sneaking out was easy enough due to his younger sister’s tantrum, and he fit in well among the townsfolk, with his dark brown hair he had inherited from his mother. Not white that was cherished by royal bloodline. Captivating smells of baked goods filled his senses as music filtered throughout the village. There never seemed to be a dull moment around the small boy as he walked, with people rushing by in a hurry or merchants carrying a ludicrous amount of things in their arms along with bizarre alien animals loaded with goods in tail behind them. He grins as he spots a familiar market post selling what were close to a variety of breads and cheeses, though looked and tasted nothing like them. He immediately spots Hunk, who is helping his father ring up orders and gather them upon request. He’s a hard worker and always lends a helping hand. Lance admires that. 

Hunk finally notices him after helping a customer, smiling brightly. “Hey Lance!” he greets cheerfully, causing his father to glance over and greet Lance with the same bright grin. “Hello there Lance! How are you?”

Lance grins brightly back as he approaches. “Hi Hunk! Hello Mr.Tsuyoshi. I’m doing great! Especially on a day like this!” He gives Hunk a familiar raise of his brows in question.

Hunk sighs and his grin waivers a bit. “It is...but unfortunately I’m stuck here at the shop. My dad really needs help with how busy it is,” he replies while organizing his work station. 

Lance pouts, crossing his arms to define it. “Really? You can’t even take a short break?” 

Mr.Tsuyoshi peers over, shaking his head. “ I’m afraid not Lance, but here, take this in case you get hungry.” He reaches an arm over the counter to the boy, dropping what looks like half cut french bread into his hands. Only it’s green and had dried berries within it, Lance’s favorite. His pout waivers in favor of being polite at the kind gesture, digging his free hand into his satchel to pull money out. Mr, Tsuyoshi raises a hand and shakes his head when Lance offers it to him. “No need, it’s on us,” he says with a smile.

Lance raises a brow but grins, putting the money away along with the bread into his satchel, securing the clasp so nothing falls out. “Thank you Mr.Tsuyoshi. See ya Hunk! Good luck with everything!” he says as he begins turning on his heel and waves. 

“Bye Lance! Stay safe!” Hunk replies, waving a hand before returning to another customer. 

* * *

Lance kicks a rock at his feet that was from the storm that came through overnight. Without Hunk, his time in the village was rather boring, even with all the excitement of a new day. He makes his way to the edge of the village, glancing back before running to the sweet lumiberry fields. Not many farmers were out he noticed, glancing at the farm lands to the left of the village, which was a good thing. Less he has to avoid. He picks up his speed as he comes closer to the feilds, giggling as he finally makes contact with the flowers that grew up to his calves. The pollen sweeps off them as Lance runs, the sweet smell filling his nostrils as adrenaline courses through him, heart racing as he lets out laughter. The warm summer breeze pushes him along like the gentle hand of a mother to his back and gently ruffles through his hair. He finally stops once he tires, panting and raises an arm to his forehead to rid of the sweat that had built up upon it. His breathing evens out as he turns to look out at the village and the grand castle. He is well within the feilds, closer to the forests then his home. He grins warmly and closes his eyes as he tilts his face up to the sun, allowing it to warm his face and ears. It felt invigorating to feel this free, which was why he felt odd when an unsettling feeling washes over him.

He furrows his brows as his eyes flutter open, adjusting to the sunlight once more. He glances over to the forest that lined the flower fields behind him. He feels like he was being watched from beyond the bushes and thick trees though he sees no movement other than the wind that gently rustles the tree leaves. His eyes squint, searching along it until he locks eyes with that of another, peeking from a bush only to vanish just as quickly. He couldn’t quite process what he saw, other than seeing bright yellow eyes and from what he could tell were cat like ears that stood on end once it noticed he was looking. Lance swallows and lifts a hand up over his eyes to block the sunlight, peering into the forest. “Hello?” he calls, stepping closer to the forest’s edge where he saw the creature. He hears no response, but slight shuffling among the trees grasps his attention. He flinches slightly, adrenaline running through him in case he had to make a getaway. “...Anyone there?” he asks with wary in his voice. He sighs after a few ticks, about to call it quits when nothing responded and turn on his heel only to be startled by the sound of a yelp and a thud of something falling out of the trees and behind the bushes. He turns quickly, staring at the brush as curiosity lures him over, stepping slowly and cautiously to the bushes and pushing them aside. 

His mouth gapes open and eyes widen as he takes in the creature in front of him. They weren't that much smaller than him, bright yellow eyes meeting his in a panic when he gasps. There were no pupils, but a faint outline of dark yellow irises were clearly present. They were frozen, mouth gaped open in just as much surprise as his own, a hand with small claws that extended from its fingertips over what he assumed was a cut below its knee. They had sharp canines from what he could tell, and purple skin...fur? They had a mess of thick black hair atop its head with some leaves mixed in from the tree in which they fell from, cut shorter in the back but bangs messily in the way of their eyes in the front. His eyes travel up to the cat like ears the extended out of their hair, alert and twitching. They look soft. All of the creature looks soft honestly. They dawned a loose red long sleeve shirt that’s pushed up halfway to their elbows and wore black shorts. Brown leather shoes hugged their feet. They were more Altean like in biological structure than he first thought, besides all the cat like features. Then it clicked. They were Galran, but not like any of the ones his father warned him about. This one was small and fairly young. Looked to be about his age. They were nothing like the huge scary soldiers he’d seen in illustrations. They looked soft and genuinely terrified, which was surprising since he wasn’t armed or necessarily intimidating.

Lance notes this as he swallows the lump that collected in the back of his throat. “H-hello” he squeaks. The Galran shakes their head out of shock, quickly drawing out a knife from its pocket in self defense when Lance takes a step forward. 

“D-don’t come any closer!” they yell, and by their shaky tone of voice he could consider them a boy, voice slightly lighter than his own. Lance freezes, lifting his arms up showing he’s unarmed. “I’m not going to hurt you” he says softly. It doesn’t seem to convince him to lower the knife. Lance glances down at his knee and back up to meet his eyes. So much fear and confusion mixed within them, almost pleading. It makes Lance’s stomach knot. “Are you hurt?” he asks just as softly as before. 

The Galran huffs. “I’m fine!” he grunts as he tries to stand on his injured leg, gritting his teeth and yelping as he falls again to the ground. 

Lance sighs. “ I can help you. I have a first aid kit!” He slowly lowers his hand to his satchel at his side and pats it, easy blue eyes seemingly calming him as his ears relaxed and lower. Lance glances back at the knife. It’s not like any knife an Altean blacksmith could have created, with its odd grooves and purple hues within its center. It’s oddly unsettling, and Lance quickly brings his attention back to the Galran’s eyes before he can think about it further. “ You’re gonna have to put that away in order for me to help you though” he states bluntly. 

The Galran looks between Lance and the knife, sighing in defeat as he lowers it and places it securely back into his pocket. Lance takes it as an invitation to step closer, squatting beside him and looking between him and the clawed hand that covers the injury below his knee, raising his brows unamused. “ Do I have to tell you to do everything?” he complains, patiently waiting for him to move his hand. 

He grumbles a “no” as he uncovers it, ears flicking in clear agitation. 

Lance rolls his eyes as he looks at the cut. It’s only a minor gash. Lance has seen worse. 

He carefully reaches into his satchel and pulls out a small medkit, sitting crisscross beside him. He opens the medkit and pulls out a clean cloth to soak in a sort of rubbing alcohol that was neatly within the case. The Galran looks at his actions with watchful eyes, though from what he could tell he calmed down, giving Lance the chance to initiate small talk. “What’s your name?” he asks, setting down the medical bottle back into the medkit. 

His ears raise and flick toward him, assuming to catch his voice better. It was kinda cute. “Keith” he replied, eyes still on the cloth in his hands and avoiding his gaze. 

Lance was expecting something different, due to his appearance. Certainly wouldn’t have guessed Keith, though this whole situation was obscure on its own. Lance just nods as he dismisses the train of thought, preparing to apply the wipe to the cut. “Okay Keith, this may sting a little.” He doesn’t wait for Keith to revoke as he sets the wipe onto the cut gently, causing Keith to hiss in discomfort and ears to lay flat against his head, his fingers curling into fists on either side of him. Lance raises a brow and mutters a “sorry” as he lightly pats it. 

Keith relaxes slightly as the pain dulls over, looking more that Lance now then the cut. “W-what’s yours?” he asks, strain in his voice. 

Lance glances at him before digging into the medkit again. “The name’s Lance” he states, meeting his eyes unknowingly with charisma. He always wants to make a good impression, even if this Galran was hard to amuse and only rolls his eyes in response. Lance pouts as he takes his sweet time grabbing a bandaid from the medkit. “How old are you?” he asks, peeling back the wrapping to expose the sticky adhesive. 

“Didn’t anyone tell you not to talk to strangers?” Keith states with aggravation, ear flicking. 

“Didn’t anyone tell you not to stare at them?” Lance snaps in the same tone. 

Keith blushes out of embarrassment as he turns his face away from Lance, grumbling before mumbling after a tick or so “...I’m nine.” 

Lance raises a brow at him and smiles of excitement that they have something in common. “Really? I’m ten!” Keith looks back to him, not as amused with his bored expression and tired eyes. 

“Congrats” he states sarcastically, focusing his gaze in front of himself rather than Lance. 

Lance pouts again, brows coming together as he returns to what he was doing and mumbles “Are you always this grumpy?” 

Keith huffs and glances at him, ear flicking and fluffing slightly, making Lance glance up at them in amusement. “Are you always this annoying?” Keith snarks, ears self-consciously settling to the sides of his head. 

Lance glares at him, Keith smirking a bit at having upper hand. It quickly fades when Lance teases “ Are you always this fluffy?” 

Keith hadn’t even noticed that his ears had puffed from the previous comeback, making him blush and press them against his head with his hands. It’s funny seeing him get flustered over the littlest of things. “I’m not fluffy...” he mumbles, staring hard at the ground. 

Lance giggles and places the bandaid upon the cut and smoothes it down, mumbling “Yeah you are.” 

Keith draws his brows firmly together and pouts his lip in defeat of not having a comeback. 

Lance smirks proudly for a moment before pulling his hand away from his knee. “There! Good as new!” Lance exclaims, smiling at him genuinely. 

Keith looks back between him and the now covered cut, unsure of what to say. He still has faint blush over his cheeks and seems to look straight through him, his yellow eyes unfamiliar and unreadable. It makes it difficult to look away and not wonder about what secrets they hold.  
Keith looks away quickly though, mumbling “thank you” before wincing as he stands up. He looks around briefly and finds what he’s looking for, an old book from what Lance can tell that fell into a bush beside him. It looked worn and old like it’s been read a thousand times before. Been lived in almost. He stands a moment longer in awkward silence before sighing “Well...goodbye.”

Lance looks up at him, hastily putting away the medkit and jumping to his feet as Keith begins to walk into the forest. He didn’t realize he’d been staring. “Hey wait!” he calls out, causing Keith’s ears to pull back toward his voice and turn his head over his shoulder. “Where are you going?” Lance asks, confused as to why he cares. 

Keith points ahead. “Home.” 

Lance tilts his head as if he’ll be able to see it. “Wait you live in the woods?” 

Keith looks at him with regret, sweating a bit as he glances away. “ Uh...no” he says unconvincingly and turns quickly to avoid any more questions. 

Lance takes a few steps forward, finding himself running after him. “But how is that even possible?! How are you able to survive out here? How are you even here? You’re…” He slows as Keith abruptly stops, his free balled into a fist as the other grips the book firmly. His ears lay low, glaring back at him over his shoulder though it’s hard for him to look dangerous. Least it is to Lance. 

“I know okay? I’m the enemy. I cause all your people problems just by existing. So I’m doing you and everyone else a favor by leaving and pretending we never met. You should do the same! I can tell you’re not suppose to be here.” He growls slightly through his teeth as he continues forward, leaving Lance strangely hurt. 

“...I don’t blame you for anything” he mumbles softly, but it catches Keith’s attention as he stops and curves his ears back, not physically looking at him besides a slight tilt of his head to catch a glimpse. 

“Why are you being nice to me?” Keith mutters after a moment of heavy silence between them, sounding confused and oddly solemn. 

Lance swallows “You’re only a kid, like me. And you’re not to blame for the war that’s happening.” Keith’s shoulders sink as Lance looks down at his hands, fitted together as he twiddles his thumbs absently. “You’re nothing like any of the Galra I’ve heard about. Grumpy yeah, but you’re...different. A good different! Even still I wouldn’t just leave you injured there...it wouldn’t be right.” 

Keith grumbles and his ear flicks. Seems to be a normal thing. He eventually sighs, turning fully to face him though averts his gaze. “...You’re not like any Alteans I’ve seen. I’ve never seen another one around my age. Most of the Alteans that live out here are older, and I’d be dead if they spotted me.” 

Lance becomes uneasy, looking at him with sympathy. “So that’s why you were staring,” Lance mumbles, stating louder than intended. 

Keith grumbles, crossing his arms. “I wasn’t staring! Just...observing.” 

Lance raises a brow, indifferent. “So you were staring,” he replies blatantly. 

Keith breathes heavily through his nose and lowers his arms. “Fine, maybe I was staring, I’ve just...never seen someone so happy, and free spirited....not have a care in the world.” 

Lance blushes a bit, his own ears lowering slightly and getting Keith’s attention, eyes averting as soon as they meet. Why is he blushing so much? Why did all this feel weird yet oddly thrilling? Why does he want to know more? 

“I’m sorry...I should really head home now. I’m late enough as it is.” Keith states solemnly, looking at Lance's feet and meeting his eyes once Lance snaps out of his daze. 

“W-will I see you again?” Lance stutters, feet glued in place. 

Keith shrugs, taking a step backward “I’m not sure...probably not.” 

Lance frowns, but a slight panic strikes him as Keith turns away. “Wait! Here.” He walks over while digging through his bag, pulling out the bread Mr.Tsuyoshi gave him earlier. He hands it out to the smaller boy, his head tilting as he looks at it. “Just um...you look hungry,” he reasons. He really didn’t. He doesn’t want to admit that he’s just buying time, but Keith catches on. 

He looks back up at Lance, lips parted into a small smile as he takes it from his hands. His ears lay low in thought as he grips it slightly, biting his lip with his small snaggletooth. “...Maybe I can see you tomorrow. I mean, if you’re able to. I don’t exactly have anything to offer off hand but....thank you.” 

Lance grins happily, nodding quickly. “Y-yeah! I’m not doing anything tomorrow! Meet at the same spot?” 

Keith looks up at him in surprise, ears perking and sharing a small smile in return. “Yeah, though a little earlier so I don’t have to rush home.” 

Lance nods, bubbling with excitement. “Of course, I’ll see you then Fluffy!” 

Keith gives a scolding look back with his ears lowered, turning but not breaking eye contact til he’s turned fully. Lance could swear he saw a smile at the edge of his lips in amusement as he does. 

“Goodbye to you too, Lance” With that he disappears into the forest, leaving Lance with a series of questions he hopes to solve within their next meeting. The questions that keep him up most of that night when he returns home and anxiously waits for the sun to raise in the earlier morning hours.

* * *

Lance and Keith do meet the next day, though without the startling introduction of the day prior. Lance talks about how his village and how boring his life is up in the castle with being a prince and all, which took Keith by surprise. 

“You’re a prince?” he asks, sitting across from him on a fallen log they stumbled upon on their short walk into the woods so they’d be safe from sight. 

“Yeah! Though it’s not as exciting as it seems. I have to be mister proper pants all the time and hold my chin up and keep my mouth shut and blahblahblah,” Lance replies, more so complains near the end.

Keith snorts, musing “I wonder why.” 

Lance pouts and stands suddenly, surprising Keith by making a show of it by talking in an exaggerated voice and gesturing with his hands. He bows to the side and keeps his chin tilted upward. “Why hello your highness, you look rather snooty and uptight today.” Keith snorts at this, smiling despite himself. Lance glances and grins. “Mmmyes I love this fine drink that tastes of feet, my favorite,” Lance adds.

Keith giggles, his ears wiggling a bit as he does. It makes Lance blush a bit. He decides then and there he likes seeing Keith happy. 

Keith later explains how he lives within the woods with his older brother, Shiro, after his ship had been fired down in a fleet attack, though it was his brother's intentions to hide themselves away anyway. He managed to survive with Keith only being four years old, and hide deep within the thick forests to lessen the chance of being found with being galra and all. 

“You walked all this way to the edge of the forest just to see me again?” Lance had asked. 

Keith shrugs, “Eh it’s not that far. I’ve walked much farther distances than this.” 

Lance has more to ask, like what he means by that, but keeps it to himself. 

Keith continues to talk about how they eventually built a small cottage once everything had blown over. He also talked about how he hated the war and wanted peace. How much Shiro hated being forced to be a soldier and was separated from Keith against his will until he was able to locate him and escape. He had left out a lot, but Lance respected his privacy. He was surprised he trusted him with knowing all that and crossed his heart he wouldn’t tell another soul.

They ended up meeting whenever they had the chance to, becoming close friends. Lance would often bring Keith different high-class foods he’d sneak from the royal kitchen or from Mr.Tsuyoshi’s shop for him to try. He’d also bring books he’d let him borrow from the library since he noticed the book he had with him on their first meeting was rather old. Keith could surprisingly read Altean close to perfect, explaining that Shiro had taught him. Enough to read and understand it at least. They’d spend afternoons together in their usual meeting place, Keith reading Lance a few chapters of a book each day or they’d play. Keith would bring him baked goods that he’d make himself, along with different flowers and plants that only grew in the forest. He stopped bringing plants after Lance broke out in a rash on his arm from an odd yellow and orange lily Keith had found, which he felt awful about, and in turn he made him a whole basket of cookies that Lance loved as an apologie. 

They shared their dreams and how they wanted to escape all the madness together. Lance would tell Keith stories his father use to tell him, reenacting battle scenes or drawing illustrations in the dirt. Keith always listened and watched with wonder.

After a few months of daily meetings and gained trust, Lance offered Keith a token of close friendship. Even though they had the occasional bickering, they had grown very close despite their vast differences. They were out walking along the river’s edge that ran it’s way through the forest when he stopped Keith for a moment. 

“I have something for you” he stated softly, digging into his pocket. 

Keith tilts his head in curiosity and squints at him. “If it’s another prank I’m pushing you into the river,” he teases. Lance rolls his eyes. 

“It’s not. Now shut up and close your eyes.” 

Keith grumbles a bit but does as he’s told. Lance gently takes his hand and slips a silver ring onto his ring finger, his ears perking at the sudden new weight that was left there. 

Lance grins warmly and looks back up to him. ‘You can open them now!” 

Keith’s eyes flutter open, locking onto the ring on his finger and mouth parted open in surprise. It’s made of silver with a small blue gemstone in the middle. The same blue as Lance’s eyes and marks on his cheeks. 

“It’s a ring of friendship! Celebrating six months of knowing each other! It use to be my father’s. He gave it to me when I was very young. And now I give it to you!” Lance explains, a big grin on his face.

Keith grins wide, wider than Lance has ever seen him smile. He quickly finds Keith’s arms wrapped around him in a tight hug, making Lance giggle and return it. “Thank you” he mumbles against his ear as he pulls away from him. “No one has ever done something like this for me before.” Keith flexes his fingers in front of himself as Lance blushes slightly, shrugging modestly. 

“It’s the least I could do. You’ve earned it,” Lance praises.

Keith looks at him with grateful eyes, gasping a moment as he reaches for his own neck and pulls over a necklace Lance had noticed him wearing daily but never took off. He slowly reaches his arms out to him with it in his grasp, slight blush dusted over his cheeks as well. “This use to be my mother’s. It’s really important to me and I’ve never taken it off...I want you to have it,” he says tentatively.

Lance’s eyes widen and shakes his head, putting his hands over Keith's and gently pushing it back towards him. “Aw Keith, I can’t take this. It means too much to you.” 

Keith shakes his head and pushes his hands back towards him. “No no. I want you to have it! I trust you to keep it safe.” He looks up at him with large yellow puppy eyes. The ones he knows Lance can’t say no to. “Please?” he pleads. 

Lance blushes slightly more, looking between Keith and the necklace dangling from his hands. He sighs as he lets go, muttering “Okay...I hate when you use those eyes on me you know!” 

Keith rolls his eyes and puts the chain over his head and securely around his neck. 

Lance pinches the small pendant between his fingers to examine it. It’s a red crystal of some sort, nothing like any crystal he’d ever seen. It’s attached to a thin silver chain that meets the middle of his chest when hanging loose. He smiles fondly at it and looks back up to Keith, smiling warmly. “I’ll never take it off. I promise!” 

Keith grins back, his thumb absently rotating the ring. “I’ll never take off mine either.” 

Lance grips the pendant in his hand and presses it to his heart. 

“Promise?” 

Keith mirrors Lance’s actions and nods.

“Promise.”

He kept the necklace hidden under his shirt, out of sight but close to his heart. Whenever he’d find himself missing Keith and couldn’t physically be with him, he’d hold the small pendant close, rubbing his fingers along the sides till he memorized its shape. It almost felt like a physical part of him, this symbol of trust and friendship. He stayed to his word and never took it off till it had been a year of them seeing each other.

When It was against his will.

* * *

He didn’t realize how much time had passed as he spent the afternoon well into the evening with Keith. It was all a bit of a blur, where minutes turned into hours like nothing. Keith was finishing the second to the last chapter of an adventure book Lance had picked out two weeks prior when he suddenly realizes. 

“Keith?” he asks, staring hard at the ground between his feet. 

“Yeah?” Keith replies, laying back lazily against a tree trunk. 

“What time its it?” he asks, running a hand through his hair out of habit, especially when nervous. 

Keith yawns, looking at the sun’s position for reference “Mff I dunno. Maybe four? But it’s summer so...” 

They both take a moment for it to process before they look at each other in a panic. 

“I-I thought it was four! I had no idea it’s close to seven!” Keith exclaims, gathering his belongings that were strewed about. 

“Hff doesn’t mean anything now...I’ve gotta go,” Lance mutters. He's already sprinting through the forest before Keith can even register. 

“Wait Lance! Your book!” he calls out urgently, but Lance interrupts him by yelling over his shoulder, “We’ll finish the book tomorrow yeah?!” 

Keith’s shoulders sink as he stands alone, gripping the book in his hands. “Sure!” he replies, though he doesn’t sound confident. 

Lance can faintly hear him saying something else before he’s running out of the woods and through the lumiberries. He doesn’t have time to stop. He has his hands tied and needs a really good excuse for when he reaches home.

When he returns to the castle gates, he’s grabbed by a guard followed by two others at his side and immediately rushed in without time to explain himself. He’s brought to the main hall where his mother is standing, and by the looks of it she’s not happy. 

“Where on Altea have you been?” she asks, her voice laced with worry and anger. She ushers toward him before he can reply, her arms wrapping around him tightly. 

Lance swallows and his ears fall low nervously. “I-I’m fine mama! Honest! I-I was just out in the gardens playing soldier by hiding in the bushes and stuff,” he stutters, patting her back assuringly.

His mother pulls away with her hands on his shoulders, rolling her eyes. “Oh for god’s sake Lance I’m tired of that excuse! If you were here you would of heard your me calling for you. I know you go out to the village to see Mr. Tsuyoshi and his son, which I mistakenly allowed, since he has only seen you leave the village day in and day out!’ she scolds.

Lance lowers his head guiltily, unable to find words as his throat tightens. 

“What have you been doing?...What is that?” She glances down to his neck where she notices the chain of a necklace that is showing from beneath his shirt collar, quickly reaching for it and pulling it out to examine it. 

Lance stiffens. “It’s nothing let me go!” he exclaims, his heart beginning to race as his mother tenses as she examines it closer. 

“This is Galran” she mutters, barely loud enough for Lance to hear. 

His blood runs cold as she looks up at him, eyes filled with worry and betrayal. 

“Where did you get this? Who gave this to you?! What the hell have you been doing out there Lance?!” Her voice raises, making Lance wince and eyes burn with tears he desperately tries to hold back. 

“I-I just found it in the wood! Harmless! I-I swear I wasn’t doing anything that w-would get me hurt!” he pleads, his voice cracking as he tries to hold back a sob.

His mother’s eyes burned into him, making him shudder and a few tears slip. She yanks the necklace from his neck, making him yelp. 

“No p-PLEASE MOM N-NOT THAT IT’S MINE!” he yells, grabbing at her hand that holds the pendant. 

She ignores him and turns to the guards. “Take him to his room. I want him under watchful eyes for this evening and until further notice. He is not allowed to leave unless requested.” Lance looks up at her, vision blurred as tears spill down his cheeks. Her expression is cold and distant as she looks down at him, making his stomach twist and turn in ways it shouldn’t. “You will be held for questioning tomorrow morning, understand?” 

Lance can barely hear her over the panicked thoughts racing through his mind, making him dizzy. What if they find Keith? What if they hurt him? What if he’ll never see him again? What if-

“ _Lance!_ ” she yells sternly. 

He looks up at her blankly, realizing his mother has called his name more than once. He looks down at the floor in defeat, tears slipping down his nose and chin as they fall to the tiled floor. “...Yes m-mama” he replies weakly, on the edge of choking on his own words. 

She turns away, refusing to look at him as the guards drag him down the hallway. He doesn’t fight back, his legs dragging behind himself as he lets himself get lost in his thoughts. _This is all my fault_ he thinks.

_All my fault._

* * *

He doesn’t sleep that night. Between four breakdowns and constant self loathing, he’s basically a zombie when his mother calls him to her meeting hall for questioning. He keeps his head low but can’t help noticing her stand from her chair and eyes widen towards him. 

“My word child, you look terrible! Did you not sleep at all?” she asks with concern.

Lance only spares her a glance, eyes sore and red from the constant sobbing he endured the night prior. He could only imagine what he looked like, hair mangled this way and that, lips chapped and mouth dry. He didn’t even bother to change out of the clothes he was wearing the day before and he wouldn’t doubt he had bags under his eyes. He was a mess. 

His mother sighs when he fails to respond, merely gesturing at him to sit in the seat in front of her as she sits back down. He slowly slumps into it. He feels pathetic with the way she pities him, but he doesn’t care. He just wants Keith to be safe and stay safe. And his brother Shiro too, even though he had never met him. 

“Tell me Lance, what have you been doing in the woods?” Her voice sounds unsteady, which would be typical if you were in the state he was in. 

He swallows, voice dry and flat. “I played in the woods by myself” he lied. It’s fairly easy for him to lie, but it’s difficult to hide it, especially to his mother. _Don’t give yourself away_ he thinks, stopping himself from biting his lip. 

She squints at him, slowly raising a hand up from beneath the table to place in front of him. “And this” she starts, unfolding her hand to show him the pendant. His heart starts to race and he becomes attentive without knowing. She raises a brow in question. “ Where did you get this?” she asks patiently. 

Lance swallows, wincing as he does from it being sore. “I found it...under a tree in the woods” he replies, sounding a bit too forced. He needed to relax. He had to. 

His mother looks at all of the features of his face, trying to read it. It makes his palms sweat and he avoids her gaze. “I see. So no one gave this to you?” she pokes. 

He knows she’s poking at him. It’s like a jab to his stomach but he fights the feelings down, looking her straight in the eye with a bored expression. “No” he states firmly. “ No one gave it to me. I found it. It’s _mine_.” He wouldn’t normally be upfront, but he kept a promise and he’s not about to break under a little pressure. 

His mother raises her brows in his deficiency, sighing before stating “fine” and dropping the necklace on the table. 

Lance’s eyes draw to it, glancing up to hers for permission. She hesitantly nods, and Lance quickly grabs it and presses it to his heart without a second thought. 

“You may keep it” she states, lifting her hand up as Lance goes to put it back on. “ _But_ , you cannot wear it. It’s a sign of the Galran Empire. We simply cannot have that represented here, especially in the palace. You are also no longer allowed to be off on your own. A guard will be assigned at your side at all times. I can’t risk you going out by yourself anymore with the rise of attacks occurring in neighboring solar systems-”

“But they aren’t attacking our planet head on! Isn’t our defense stuff on high alert already?” he interrupts. 

Her eyes narrow, making him recoil once more. He hates having little say and feeling defenseless under her gaze. 

“It’s too risky Lance, and there are things you have yet to understand. What you will understand are these circumstances and obey the rules I’ve enforced. Understood?” she concludes firmly.

His grip tightens on the pendent as he lowers it to his lap, lowering his head and nodding hesitantly. “Yes mama” he replies solemnly. 

He knows he may never be able to see Keith again, with higher security measures his mother enforced making it impossible to escape through the front gates. He’s only allowed to visit Hunk under supervision and a year or so meets Pidge. But at least he has a piece of him. He keeps it in an aged music box under his bed where it would be kept safe. After a few months of trying he eventually is able to convince his mother to drop the high measures of security. Though when he returns to the forest, Keith is nowhere to be found. Day after day he tries, hoping they may run into each other. But it never happened. He gives up on trying after a few weeks, thinking Keith had moved on without him. He knew they were safe. Least he hoped. A reminder of the forbidden friendship he had faded as time went on. As he ages throughout the years and seemingly forgets Keith, the music box covered in dust and old memories tucked away out of sight. It all comes back, however, a few days after his nineteenth birthday. In a way he’d never expect it to.


	2. Keep friendships and accept humility

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lance struggles to stay composed and focused...he blames his pants.  
> Also, shady things are happening within the castle walls and Lance isn't sure how to feel about it.  
> Note: Puravem are the Latin roots Pure and Bird put together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY, second try is always better right? I literally only meant to preview this as a draft when I accidentally posted it and had to do all this editing all over again...  
> Literallyivegonethroughsomuchtogetthisup  
> Anyway, I thank you so much for the wonderful feedback! I took your critiques and made corrections and adjustments to make it a more enjoyable reading experience! If there are any lingering errors I apologize and please inform me. Any feedback is great and I love to hear what you have to say ^^

The castle is normally quiet. The loud pitter patter of his siblings' feet and giggles that once filled the halls fade as years went by, along with their mischief that cease as they mature. Not much happens within the halls now besides guards patrolling in a repeated formation and maids attending to their duties. Though with a new allie from a neighboring galaxy coming to sign agreements on such short notice, everyone is up bright and early to make sure everything and everyone is in order. Lance, however, isn’t even aware of the news until Allura comes to check on him and knocks on his bedroom door.

“Cousin?” she asks tentatively. “Are you up and ready yet?” 

Lance shifts in his bed, nestling himself further into his sheets and grumbles when she knocks again. 

“The congregation starts in an hour! You mustn’t be late again,” she says with agitation. 

He ignores her, sighing heavily into his blanket as he keeps his eyes tightly shut. He can hear Allura huff as she opens the door, her eyes squinting as she tries to find her way around the room. 

“Blast it’s dark. Why do you always keep these heavy drapes closed?” she asks as she makes her way to the window, pulling them back and letting sunlight flood the room.

It causes Lance to wince and whine, immediately turning his body away as he buries his face into his pillow. 

Allura sighs before walking over to his bedside, crossing her arms. “ _Lance_ ,” she says sternly. 

He grumbly muffles “mmffwhattt?” into his pillow, his body heavy with sleep and unwilling to move. She narrows her eyes towards him. He can tell by the short silence before she speaks. 

“Get up! I’m not going to stand for you slacking off!” she snaps as she nudges his shoulder with her palm. 

Lance grunts, a smirk at the edge of his lips as he replies “Then why don’t ya lay down and sleep? Won’t have to stand for anyone anymore.” 

Allura grunts in frustration as she grabs onto the sheets, pulling them off the bed despite his protests of trying to pull them back over himself. 

“Alluraaa! I was just teasinnn let go!” he whines, tugging on the blanket before it’s pulled out of his grip. He shivers as cool air ripples down his back and curls up to keep what heat he had left from escaping. 

“Don’t _Allura_ me! We have much to do this morning and I can’t afford to waste anymore time than you already have,” she scolds, folding up the blankets in her arms before setting them aside. 

He measly glances at her from the corner of his eye, waving a hand lazily in her direction. “Alright! Alright! I’m up! Geez,” he grumbles, slowly pulling himself up into a sitting position and allowing his legs to drape over the bedside, his body shuddering as it adjusts to the temperature of the room. He notices Allura is dressed in her formal princess gown, though her dress is pure white and gold instead of blue. Her hair falls naturally as it pours over her shoulders and down her back. She looks pleased with herself, making Lance pout. 

“Good. Now get dressed! Oh and wear your formal attire! The white one,” she says, making her way over to his wardrobe across the room. 

Lance exaggeratedly sighs, slumping his shoulders to allow his arms to dangle between his legs till the tips of his fingers brush against the wood flooring. “Hhgh but I don’t like the white oneee,” he whines.  
”It’s annoying and tight around certain,,, areas,” he mumbles the last part as he looks at the ground. He doesn’t want to be specific and he’s sure she knew what he meant. 

Allura lacks sympathy though as she pulls it out of his wardrobe and walks back over to lay it on the bed beside him.  
“Then maybe you should pay attention next time they ask for your measurements instead of flirting with the tailor,” she states simply. 

He raises a hand to his chest in defense as he exclaims “Hey! She was giving me _the eye_ alright?!” He points to his eye to further his point.  
“I was only reacting in a smooth and flattering manner.” 

Allura rolls her eyes as she runs a hand along the waistcoat to smooth it out.  
“I wouldn’t consider terrible pickup lines and embarrassing yourself in front of everyone in the meeting hall being a smooth reaction, and did you really just say she gave you the eye considering she only had one?” she asks, attention solely on the garment. 

Lance blushes out of embarrassment as he crosses his arms, pouting as he looks away.  
“Not my fault...and that chair was totally unstable! Poor craftsmanship to whoever built it!” he carps and nods. ”And yes. Yes I did. She was lookin right at me and swooning,” he states in an _as-a-matter-of-fact_ tone

Allura raises a brow, unconvinced. “You mean unsturdy,” she corrects. 

Lance huffs. “Yeah, sure, _unsturdy_. Either way, it was out to mess up my mad flirting skills!” he scoffs. 

Allura smiles in amusement despite herself, sparing him a glance.  
“I wouldn’t put the blame on the chair considering you tipped it over, and how would you know she was swooning with her clear lack of interest?” she asks casually. 

He pouts more and squeezes his arms. _Right as always_ he thinks. “I dunno I just...could,” he defends poorly, sighing before bluntly stating, “You know what I’m done talking about this.” 

Allura is indifferent as she walks back to his door, going back to the previous subject.  
“This species we are encountering today are all about cleanliness and purity. So white is fitting. Now hurry along! I’ll be waiting for you in the dining hall for breakfast.” 

He hums and nods slowly, only half listening as he looks the window in front of him. 

She raises a brow before they quickly draw together. “ _Lance!_ ” she yells, making him jump up from his sitting position in surprise. 

“Okay! Meet you there! Ten minutes, no distractions, I got it!” he fusses, pulling his night shirt over his head hastily and tossing it aside before picking up the suit. 

She sighs before closing the door, leaving him in his thoughts and own frustrations.

* * *

Lance struggles to look composed as he stands beside Allura during the signing agreement, considering how skintight the white suit was on him. It wasn’t that it was uncharming. In fact it was a rather handsome suit, with a white fitted waist coat to be met by golden shoulder pads. The uncuffed collar that protruded from his cape was slightly annoying when he’d turn his head, brushing against his neck whenever he did. The bottom of the waistcoat extended from the back and separates into two points that trailed behind him, gold trim lined along its edges and at the cuffs of his hands. Golden buttons pinned their way up to his midsection with V symbols embedded into them. A dress shirt bestowed itself on his chest along with his formal cape that wrapped around his shoulders and draped down his back. His pants were just as tight as he expected them to be, hugging his waist and crotch too close for comfort. He ditched the golden belt he was supposed to wear. His lower half would surely go numb if he hadn’t. At least his white dress shoes fit comfortably. To top everything off he wore his golden headdress with a blue crystal that met the center of his forehead along blue crystal earrings to signify the Altean empire. A shimmering gold highlighter draws attention to his cheeks and ears as concealer ceals away his freckles. He lets his hair lay naturally mainly due to not having the time to style it, strands curling a bit off the back of his neck and around his ears. Despite the discomfort, he had to admit he looked great. It didn’t distract him, however, from how much time this meeting was taking and how much longer he could stand feeling like a stiff porcelain doll.

He glances at Allura to his right, who is listening attentively as her father and the king of the Puravem discuss paperwork in the middle of the meeting room. Normally these meetings only took up to half a dobash at the most, but with the Puravem’s ‘precautionary measures’ it was dragging on for about an varga and a half. He told Hunk a few days prior that he’d see him before noon today and was looking forward to it, especially with how beautiful it is outside. He came to the conclusion that he’ll be stuck in this stuffy meeting room with mostly Puravems well into the afternoon at this rate. At that thought he glances around the room, mentally studying the Puravems. They were odd creatures, completely covered in feathers except for around their mouths, hands, and feet, which were covered in scales. They had four long ears that extended from their heads and clawed, bird like feet that would scrape against the tiles whenever they walked. Some had long lion like tails while others had none at all. Most of them were petite and compact while others were tall and thin. The king was actually the smallest to his surprise, but the large crown on his head made up for it. Huge germaphobes Lance quickly found out as none of they wanted to shake hands when introduced earlier to them. They also wore a new set of precautionary gloves on all four of their hands before touching any new paperwork, dragging on the meeting that much more. Lance was more focused on his pants now though then anything else. 

“Is the meeting over yet?” he asks just above a whisper to Allura, “These pants are starting to ride up my as-” 

“SH!” Allura interrupts, causing her father to glance over with a scolding look. 

Lance lowers his head dismissively, biting his lip as he fidgets his hands that are held behind himself. 

Allura notices from the corner of her eye and sighs, leaning slightly closer to him.  
“From what I can tell the king is about to sign the final papers within a few ticks. They just finished going over weaponry,” she murmurs only for Lance to hear. “If you were paying attention you would know that,” she scolds after. 

He pouts a bit as he adjusts his footing, groaning slightly when it only makes his predicament worse.  
“Hfff kinda hard to when you’re held captive by your own pants giving you a wedgie,” he scoffs, discreetly adjusting his pants but Allura notices anyway and is clearly fighting the urge to smile. 

“Knock it off! You’re distracting,” she mutters as she pinches his arm. 

“Ow!” he yelps, turning his head to glare at her directly. King Alford clears his throat, only sparing them a glance but it’s enough to keep Lance in order.  
“Sorry,” he grunts, trying his best to stand still. Allura bows her head apologetically, side glaring Lance but he’s too distracted to care. He just wants this to be over with so he can change into comfortable clothes. 

Just like Allura said earlier, the meeting finally came to a close as the king signed the last paper a few ticks later. Luckily King Alford let Lance and Allura be excused right away, which was odd since he usually gave them a talking to whenever they’d misbehave. He doesn't waste anytime to retreat back to his room and be relieved of his silk prison. 

He shoves the garment back into his wardrobe after changing into an airy white long-sleeve shirt and black shorts, along with black boots. It’s only quarter after noon so he’s not that late he figures. He takes out his old satchel bag that is well worn now, but he can’t bring himself to part with it. He grabs a small cloth coin bag out from one of his pockets to make sure he has enough crown bills to spend in the market. About 10, which is more than enough. Since he’s made many public appearances, he has to lay low when he goes out to the village. So he throws on a navy blue hooded cloak that covers most of his face and body from view, taking the hood off momentarily when his earrings brush against it. As he takes off his jewelry and sets them aside on his nightstand, something peeking out from underneath his bed catches his eye. He squints at it, only momentarily though before he hears Allura open his door, quickly spinning on his heel and nearly falling backward onto his nightstand at the intrusion. 

“I have good news! The Puravems are goi-” She stops herself as he sees his outfit and the satchel in hand. She doesn’t look surprised.  
“What are you doing?” she asks dryly, even though she already knows the answer. 

Lance sighs as he turns around to reorganize his belonging on his nightstand, mainly to avoid her gaze.  
“Nothing I uh….” he pauses as he feels Allura's eyes burning into him from behind and glances over his shoulder, shrugging his nervousness. “...going to the gardens?” It came out more as a question than a real answer. 

Allura lingers in the doorframe, leaning her shoulder against it with her brows raised.  
“Oh please. Do you really think I’d buy that?” she asks with agitation. 

Lance huffs through his nose as he grips a bit onto his satchel strap. _I really need to think of better excuses_ he thinks.  
“ _No_ , and you know that I know I...wait you know what I know what you gHH!” and he carps as he shakes his head in frustration. 

“I know you’re going to the village again,” she finishes. “ And based on your nervousness and struggle to find words, you know just as well as I do that you’re not suppose to. Not by yourself.” 

Lance pouts as he pulls his hood over his head, turning to face her. He tried his best to look stern, though it’s difficult when she stares right through him.  
“I’m going to see Hunk. I promised I’d see him and I’m already late so if you’ll excuse me,” he scoffs, walking toward the door but is stopped by Allura who steps in front of him, blocking the doorway.  
“Seriously? I’m an adult and-” 

“And are too old to be sneaking out like this’” she scolds before he can finish. 

Lance lowers his shoulder and rubs his forehead slowly.  
“Look, I know you like being all protective and motherly over me but I seriously need to see Hunk alright? I’m not breaking my promise,” he asserts, as he glances at her through his fingers before dropping his hand to his side and looking at her directly. 

She’s silent for a moment, making up her mind as she looks away. 

“...Please? It’ll only be for an hour or so. Then I’ll be back and will do whatever with you and the germaphobe birds,” he ensures. 

Allura sighs. “Alright. If anyone asks for you I’ll just tell them you are unavailable to be seen,” she hesitantly replies, not looking at him for a moment. 

Lance grins despite her obvious disapproving frown.  
“Really? Thanks man! You’re the best!” he says as he walks past Allura out of his room. 

She grabs his arm for a moment before he’s out of her grasp.  
“ _An hour._ After that I’m not going to cover for you,” she states bluntly, squeezing his arm a moment before letting go. 

Lance gives a serious look, nodding. “An hour, got it. See you soon.”  
He readjusts his hood further over his face as he quickly makes his way down the hall, Allura lingering in the spot she had stopped him. 

“Be safe,” she mumbles to herself before turning to his door and closing it, locking it shut.

* * *

Lance was easily able to sneak out due to secret passages and corridors he’d use to make his way down to the gardens undisturbed. Once he got to the gardens, however, it was quite a challenge to stay out of sight with everyone out and about setting up what looked like a party for that evening. It must have been what Allura was trying to pass as good news earlier, though that could be debatable with the possibility of having to wear that suit again. After a long amount of time of sneaking through bushes and hiding behind trees and decor, he was finally able to sneak out one of the side gates. 

The day was gorgeous, not too hot and not too cold. Lance could feel the light summer breeze pass across his cheeks as he walked, raising his head a bit to breathe it in. He quickly lowers it when he notices some people staring as he passes by, probably wondering why he had his dark hood up on such a day. They don’t seem to be too bothered by it as he walks past, glancing back to see them attending to their tasks again. He weaves his way through fellow Alteans and some alien species he recognizes from previous allie signings. None of them pay him much mind though as he finds his way to Hunk’s bakery and deli. Over the years Mr.Tsuyoshi’s market post had expanded into a formal business, buying a building in the elite marketplace and becoming quite well known for their wide selection of meats, cheeses, and breads. He goes to open the door when an alien to opens it nearly hits him, but he takes the opportunity to quickly slide his way in. Over the crowd of people waiting to get what they need he sees Hunk, who doesn’t appear overwhelmed despite it. He’s behind a long display counter to Lance’s left with a variety of cheeses and meats within the refrigerated displays. Behind him are shelves of jams and spreads for the breads that are on display on the other side of the rather small shop. Premade sandwiches and even desserts are right beside the breads, closest near the store’s entrance. He has his coworker, Nyma, gathering up items pointed out by customers from the display cases and helping things move along smoothly as Hunk’s father tends to cutting up cheese at Hunk’s side. She has her hair, well Lance could assume hair, pulled back and some flour wiped across her forehead from the bread dough she had probably needed earlier. Lance scans over the crowd, trying to find a way to maneuver his way closer. He sees an opening as two aliens make their way out and takes it, saying excuse me and pardon me whenever he bumped into someone. 

“Hey no cutting!” an older Altean woman says from behind him.  
Lance glances back to revoke before Mr.Tsuyoshi calls her over to assist her, giving Lance a small smile when Lance nods in thanks.

“Hunk!” he calls out from behind another customer, but Hunk is focused clicking away on the cash register to his right and doesn’t notice. Lance sighs and tries again.  
“HUNK!” he shouts, this time getting his attention as he jolts. 

“What! Who-” and he looks over the lines and sighs as he sees Lance, turning back to doing what he was doing.  
“Geez, do you have to give me a heart attack everytime you come here?” he huffs. 

Lance pouts a bit.  
“Hey it’s not my fault it’s loud in here!” he justifies, only getting an eye glance from Hunk before he gives change back to a customer he was tending to and gives a farewell as they leave. His shoulders slump as he exhales heavily through his nose, walking up to the counter and feeling guilty as Hunk raises a brow at him.  
“Look, I’m sorry I’m late and during rush hour. The meeting with the Puraburmas took way longer than I thought it would,” he explains, gesturing with his hands as he does out of habit. 

“I thought they were called Puravems,” Nyma chimes in, handing a customer some meat that she wrapped up for them over the counter. 

Lance glares at her, unamused.  
“ _Whatever,_ ” he snarks. “I’m here now at least. Is there anything I could do to maybe help? You know, without being seen,” he asks as he looks at back at Hunk, who after a short moment of consideration smiles. 

“It’s alright Lance. I don’t blame you for the meeting taking longer than you thought. It’s good to see you,” he assures before turning and grabbing a paper bag.  
“And it’s a bit much to ask but, could you run this order over to Pidge for me? It would save us a lot of hassle with well you know...you’re kinda holding up the line,” and he gestures with his eyes at the line of impatient customers behind Lance. 

Lance smiles and takes the bag, biting his lip slightly as he glances over his shoulder but nods when he looks back to Hunk.  
“I’ve got ya big guy. I was going stop by there anyway to say hi. See you soon and good luck!” 

He keeps the bag tightly in his hand as he makes his way out of the shop, keeping his head low and faintly hearing the good byes of Hunk and the others, giving them a wave at the entrance of the shop before being pushed out by some unruly customers. 

* * *

Pidge worked just down the street at their father’s floral shop, making the walk there only about five minutes. It was really hard for lance to keep his head down from seeing all of what was happening around him, with children laughing and running past and female Alteans that would catch his eye. He had to keep himself from flirting as he made his way hastily to the shop, the wind chimes tied to the top of the door ringing a melody as he walks in. The shop was much less crowded to Lance’s relieve as he looked around. Just some individuals browsing the odd variety of plants to choose from throughout. He spotted Mrs.Holt talking to a customer. She looked better than she normally does, less tired. Ever since Pidge’s Father and brother went missing on the Kerberos peace mission last year, it’s been really hard on them both. They have been able to keep the floral shop in business, but on some days you could really tell when Mrs.Holt was grieving. She’d have a very tired and solemn look in her eyes and a forced smile. Pidge hasn’t given up looking for them after the Garrison, a program for Alteans to become skilled pilots and very difficult to get into, had given up. He really wishes he could do more to help them, but there’s only so much voice and power he has among his ranks. 

He gingerly walked up to Mrs.Holt as he pushed away his thoughts, being discrete as possible. He cleared his throat to gain her attention, her responding by excusing herself for a moment from a customer before greeting Lance with a hug. She was a pretty touchy feely person. 

“Lance! Good to see you,” she says enthusiastically as she can in a low voice, pulling away with a smile that didn’t look forced.  
It was warming. 

“Good to see you too Mrs.Holt. Is Pidge here? I have a delivery for them,” Lance asks, holding up the bag. Mrs.Holt nods as she gestures to the storage room. 

“Katie is just back there. She’s a little moody today fair warning.” 

“ _Pidge,_ ” Lance mumbles as a minor correction more to himself then directed at Mrs.Holt. 

She didn’t seem to notice, so he just nods and thanks her as he walks to the back room and walks in without bothering to knock.  
“Hello? Pidge?” he asks, looking around the cluttered room of boxes and plants that have yet to be on display. 

As he peered further back he could see Pidge sitting on the floor with their back turned, typing quickly on the screen of their tablet and headphones over their ears. They were completely focused on whatever they were working on, and Lance smirked to himself as he took the opportunity to take them by surprise. He quietly made his way over, hiding behind boxes or plants when Pidge looked over their shoulder, shrugging when they saw no one. He grinned mischievously as he creeps up behind them, lifting up their headphone to mumble “You rocking out back here?” 

They gasp as they turn around, their startled expression quickly becoming irritated.  
“No you jackass! I’m working on stuff okay?” they snap as they look at the bag in Lance’s hand. 

Lance notices and crosses his arms, the bag out of reach in case they try to grab it.  
“I didn’t appreciate that comment Pidge,” he scoffs, pointing his chin up as he turns his head to the side with his lips pouted. 

Pidge rolls their eyes as they turn back to their tablet and start typing again.  
“I didn’t appreciate _you_ sneakin up on me,” they grumble. 

Lance squints at them before sighing, looking back down at them. They really were moody today.  
“Sorry,” he mumbles after a moment of heavy silence besides the steady typing of Pidge’s keyboard. Pidge doesn’t look up, their eyes scanning over numbers. Lance pushes back his hood as he runs a hand through his hair. No one was around to see him back here so he could. He needed to out of habit. 

“Um, Hunk wanted me to give this to you,” he says softly after a few more moments of silence. 

Pidge’s typing finally subsides as they glance back over their shoulder to the bag, looking between it and Lance before taking it.  
“Thanks,” they mumble as they set it beside them, getting right back to typing. “How was the signing?” they ask, absently pushing their glasses up the bridge of their nose. 

“Boring,” Lance replies bluntly.  
“It took forever and I got a wedgie from my own stupid dress pants.” 

Pidge snorts to themselves.  
“How delightful. Wish I could have been there to see it,” they tease, making Lance squint. 

“Bet you would uh,” he hisses. 

Pidge shrugs and smirks a bit.  
“I wouldn’t be calling bets if I were you. Remember what happened last time?” 

Lance recoils as he tries to ignore the thought of him trying to ask out a guy after Pidge bet he couldn’t do it. Of course his stubborn ass couldn’t back down, so he approached the first guy he saw and got completely shut down before he could even speak. The dude’s younger sister who looked like they were five kicked him in the knee for no reason afterward. He went through it all to give up a messily 5 crown dollars. 

“... _no_ ,” he lies after a moment of repressing thoughts that came through anyway. 

Pidge hums “Mhm,” knowing he’s well aware but drops the subject anyway in favor of becoming focused again. 

Lance tilts his head to glance at what Pidge is doing and raises a brow.  
“So, what are you working on?” he asks cautiously, looking more over their shoulder becoming genuinely curious. 

Pidge stops typing a moment and starts moving charts and numbers around the tablet with their fingers.  
“You know,,, stuff,” they shrug. 

Lance squints at them, knowing all too well that Pidge’s work is never just _stuff_.  
“Is this stuff illegal or?” he asks, drawing his brows together as he leans down to see better. 

Pidge doesn’t pause their work, stating in a casual tone, “No,,, not really just um, _hacking into the castle security,_ ” they mumble quickly toward the end that Lance can barely process it. 

“Oh okay...Wait you’re whAT?!” he examines after a short moment of delay, looking at them with a startled expression. 

Pidge rolls their eyes.  
“Listen, it’s not that big of a deal,” they state nonchalantly. 

Lance sighs, straightening his back and pinching the bridge of his nose.  
“Pidge if you get caught I can’t-” 

“Lance, I’m literally undetectable. Their firewall is pretty easy to slip past and I also don’t need you to save my ass okay?” they interrupt bluntly.  
Lance side glances them before crossing his arms.  
“Besides, not like I haven’t done this before,” they slightly boast as they flip through some data. 

Lance squeezes his arms and thinks a moment.  
“Okay just, why exactly?” he asks with more nerve in his voice than he first intended. Pidge sighs through their nose. 

“I think they’re hiding a lot of information from the general public about not only the Kerberos mission, but Altea’s general standing with Zarkon,” they explain as they project some readings and message exchanges up from the tablet, scrolling through it.  
“Based off some secret message and data exchanges, there’s Galra spies within the castle as well as among the general public. It wouldn’t be surprising considering we have our own links to spies on Galra ships.” 

Lance looks over the charts and numbers. A lot of it doesn’t make much sense to him but he nods along.  
“So fighting fire with fire basically,” he comments when he feels appropriate. 

Pidge shrugs. “Kinda. It’d be a very low and undetectable fire if it were one. Just as dangerous though,” they state, focused as they look for something that was probably important to prove their point. 

“But that doesn’t make a lot a sense to me. I haven’t seen anyone who looks suspicious in the castle. Let alone Galra spies,” Lance says, eyes scanning the projections. 

“You wouldn't be able to. All this business is shady and under the table. Look.”  
They pull up blackmail. No sender or receiver is shown and the message is composed of a lot of mangled up codes and symbols. Galran symbols.  
This is what he could make out. 

_‘The Altean Empire _ more and more allies. However, most of these nations are rather weak and could be easily _ properly. If you set up a _ attack the _ be able to _ and take over. In the _ we have been _ distractions like _and _ up _’_

The rest of the message is nothing but numbers and Galra writing. 

“I uh, still have a lot to decode here so nothing is really final yet when it comes to evidence,” Pidge says as they exit the email.  
“It’s really difficult considering it’s all in Galra and weird forms of codes that I don’t know how to translate very well.” 

Lance stares off into space, feeling uneasy at the thought that all of this was going on right under their noses. What if they hurt his family? What if they try to infiltrate high-security firewalls to get into Altean blueprints of weaponry? What if they discover the secrets of Voltron? Although the lions have been left without their Paladins and hidden away, it didn’t mean that Zarkon would just stop the search for them. There was only so much Lance knew, considering a lot of things weren’t his concern. He was only a public figure, bring hope and happiness to his people. He wasn’t much else besides that. 

“Should I tell King Alford about this?” he asks tentatively, turning his gaze back to Pidge. They shake their head. 

“Not yet. I still have a lot to uncover and have to lay low considering I’m well, breaking the law doing this,” they say nervously. 

Lance rubs the back of his neck absently, feeling a bit useless. 

Pidge notices and sighs, patting his leg empathically due to it being the only thing they can reach.  
“Don’t worry too much about it yet okay? From what I already uncovered they haven’t actually fallen through with anything. I’ll let you know if I uncover any more information,” they assured. 

Lance sighs and nods, shoulders slumping a bit as he still feels uncertain.  
“Okay,” he replies flatly. 

Pidge gives a worried look before thinking a moment and turns back to the bag that Lance had given them.  
“In the meantime,” they say as they dig through the bag,  
“Want a sandwich?”  
They offer half of a sandwich that Hunk had prepared for them earlier that morning. It looked delicious, but the sight of it made his stomach curl inward with his relishing nervousness and he shakes his head. 

“Erm, no I’m good. I should probably head back to the castle. No doubt Allura is waiting for me to return,” he replies, even though he knows he has a good 15 ticks to spare. He felt he was only being a distraction and it’d be best to leave. Pidge bite their lip slightly before putting the sandwich away and returning to their work. 

“Okay. Let me know if you see anything suspicious in the castle,” they say as they get zoned back into working. “Will do,” Lance replies as he turns away, pulling his hood over his head. He feels heavier as he leaves the storage room then he did when he first entered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this wasn't too boring for anyone. This chapter was meant to stop a different point and be much longer but it felt right to end it where I did. Chapter three is currently being worked on and will be posted soon!


End file.
